Overview
| Stage | Production |
| Mine Type | Underground |
| Commodities |
|
| Mining Method |
- Continuous
- Bord-and-pillar
|
| Production Start | ...  |
| Mine Life | 2024 |
On September 3, 2021, Exxaro sold the Exxaro Coal Central (ECC) operations (now renamed Katlego Operations), which include the Tumelo mine, to Overlooked Colliery Proprietary Ltd. Production and financial data have not been publicly available since then.
Tumelo mine was recommissioned and commenced operations in Q2 2019 following technical and financial evaluations. |
Source:
p. 86
| Company | Interest | Ownership |
|
Overlooked Colliery Proprietary Ltd
|
49 %
|
Indirect
|
|
Mmakau Mining (Pty) Ltd
|
51 %
|
Indirect
|
|
Tumelo Coal Mines (Pty) Ltd.
(operator)
|
100 %
|
Direct
|
On 8 April 2021, Exxaro signed a sales and purchase agreement with Overlooked Colliery Proprietary Limited disposing of the ECC operation. All conditions precedent to the sales and purchase agreement were fulfilled and the transaction became effective on 3 September 2021.
Contractors
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Summary:
Tumelo is to the north of the Smithfield Ridge on the northeastern edge of the Springs-Witbank coalfield. The area is part of the Karoo basin with stratigraphy similar to that of other ECC operations, Dorstfontein and Forzando with subtle location-induced differences.
Six coal seams are developed in the area, named from the base up as S1, S2, S4L, S4U, S4A and S5. S1 is very thin, being only developed in the deepest part of the palaeo-valley. The thickest average seam is the S2 (0.5m to 5.3m), developed mainly in a palaeo-valley where it is either thin or absent over the adjacent palaeo-ridges. S2 has been exploited since Tumelo production started in 2009. S4L is the most continuous and secondthickest seam while S4U is thin and has mostly been eroded. S4A is thin and patchily developed and S5 is only present in a topographically high area in the south east. The only economically exploitable seam is S2.
Late Jurassic dolerite sills and dykes occur in the Tumelo area. The intrusions resulted in displacement of the various seams and devolatilisation of extensive areas of coal. The geological complexity and associated challenges are proactively managed by extensive infill drilling, downhole wireline logging for better contact definition and seam correlation as well as surface mapping, particularly of basement outcrops. This information is captured in a structural model, together with potential risks captured in a GIS-based risk and opportunity domain analys ........
Mining Methods
- Continuous
- Bord-and-pillar
Summary:
Mining of the No. 2 Seam is currently underway by means of underground bord-and-pillar methods, using continuous miners. In mechanized bord-and pillar mining, extraction is achieved by developing a series of roadways (bords) in the coal seam and connecting them by splits (cut-through) to form pillars. These pillars are left behind as part of a primary roof support system.
As the remaining reserves will be depleted in December 2021, Tumelo wishes to amend their mine plan to include the partial pillar extraction (also known as stooping) so as to extend the remaining life of mine.
Source:
Summary:
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Reserves at December 31, 2020:
| Category | Tonnage | Commodity |
|
Measured
|
7.7 Mt
|
Coal (thermal)
|
|
Indicated
|
0.2 Mt
|
Coal (thermal)
|
|
Inferred
|
1.8 Mt
|
Coal (thermal)
|
|
Total Resource
|
9.7 Mt
|
Coal (thermal)
|
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